Amnesia
by Heart Full of Elves
Summary: While out chasing a weevil, Ianto hits his head.


They were chasing a particularly quick footed weevil one Tuesday afternoon, Jack sprinting with his coat billowing out behind him and Ianto trying to keep up while collecting a variety of scrapes and bruises. Ianto had lagged behind for a minute but was just catching up when he rolled his ankle in the alleyway and hit his head hard on the brick wall when he fell over sideways. He yelped in pain, but got up straight away and followed Jack, who pounced on the weevil. Together, one of them limping, the two men shoved the weevil in the SUV and made their way back to the hub.

Jack drove over a pothole and the momentum made Ianto hit his head against the car window. He groaned. The second time in mere minutes! He wasn't usually this accident prone.

"You okay?" Jack enquired, just the tiniest bit of concern in his tone.

"I hit my head – twice," Ianto answered, prodding the sore spot with his fingers. Fuck, that hurt.

"Get Owen to check you out when we get back, alright?"

He was in too much pain to even respond with an innuendo, and Jack noticed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

They spent the rest of the journey making painful small talk that would have given anyone a headache. It wasn't something either of them were good at. Or something either of them tried to be good at. When they got to the hub they breathed sighs of relief.

After they put the weevil in the cell, Jack waved Owen over to have a look at Ianto's head. Owen shined a light in Ianto's eyes, asking how he felt, and claimed that he had a concussion. While the young Welshman was sitting back and fighting to keep his eyes open, the medic said that Ianto should spend the remainder of the day at home resting and take it easy for the next week.

"Oh, great," Jack groaned. "That's the last thing we need."

"At least he'll still be able to make coffee," replied Owen. Jack glared at him. "Right, well, you had better take him home. He definitely shouldn't drive in his condition."

"Am I here? I think I'm here," Ianto said to nobody.

Jack was still looking at Owen. "Let me guess, you're busy?"

"Extremely busy. Things to autopsy and all that. Plus I have to check our new weevil friend for injuries."

Jack called out, "Tosh? Gwen?"

"Don't bother. They went out for lunch while you were chasing the weevil."

Jack turned to Ianto. "Come on, let's get you home," he sighed. This was a waste of time. An incapacitated team member was just what he didn't need right now, and taking time out of his busy day just to take someone home didn't make him feel any better about it.

Ianto got up and followed his boss out to the car park and into the SUV. On the way to his place he kept rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stay awake. He must have hit his head harder than he'd thought. _Tired, he was so tired…_

Jack led him inside the flat and pushed him onto the sofa. "Sit and I'll bring you a cup of tea," he said.

Ianto gave a weak nod in reply, settling into the cosy couch. By the time Jack returned from the kitchen with a steaming mug, he was asleep. Jack set the mug down on the coffee table and shook him gently, but Ianto was not to be woken. Sighing, the captain sat on the armchair next to the couch, watching his employee snooze and drinking the tea himself. He noticed, not for the first time, that the Welshman was rather cute, in an innocent kind of way, and suddenly felt protective over him. It was people like Ianto that made Jack's job worth it. Seeing Ianto's little smile, tasting his delicious coffee early in the morning, hearing his adorable attempts at flirtation, it all gave Jack something to fight for when everything seemed dark. He was lost in his thoughts, looking at Ianto with an uncharacteristic tender expression and wondering how his heart had been stolen yet again, when Ianto stirred.

Ianto yawned. "How long was I out for?" he asked, sensing another's presence nearby but not looking as he was getting used to the bright light of his lounge.

Jack checked his watch. "Half an hour. I should be getting back to the hub."

Ianto's eyes shot to Jack. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Ha ha, very funny," Jack smirked. "But you aren't fooling me."

Ianto's stormy expression didn't change. "I said: _who are you_?"

Jack's smirk faded. Ianto was a good actor, but he wasn't _this_ good. "You're not joking. You have no idea who I am." His heart sank as he spoke the words.

Ianto shook his head. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but I think you had better leave."

Jack stared. Today was not going very well at all. "You know, I've always hated Tuesdays," he said to himself. Then he turned back to his young employee. "Do you remember hitting your head?" he asked.

"Of course I do. It's not like I've lost my memory or anything. I was hunting a –" he cut himself off. "I probably shouldn't tell you that."

"You were hunting a weevil with me and you hit your head," explained Jack.

"Except that I've never seen you before in my life."

_Holy shit._ "I think you'd better come with me."

"I don't even know your name. I don't even know why you're in my flat. Give me one reason why I should come with you."

"Because I might be able to fix you," Jack reasoned.

"Fix me? I'm not _broken_."

"Maybe not, but for some reason you've forgotten me, and I can't accept that."

After struggling to get the young man into the SUV, Jack drove back to the hub, his jaw set in determination. He would fix this if it were the last thing he ever did, he swore.

Strangely, Ianto seemed to recognise the hub and the people in it. He smiled to Tosh, said a small hello to Gwen, and greeted Owen just like usual. Jack frowned. "Owen!" he barked. "We have a problem."

"What now? I told you to take him home and give him the rest of the day off," Owen complained.

"Yeah, I did that, but he fell asleep and when he woke up he had no idea who I am. He seems to know the rest of you, though."

Owen sniggered. "Of all of us, _you're_ the one he's forgotten?" He almost doubled over with laughter. "Oh, that's hilarious!" He sobered after Jack stared at him for a full thirty seconds. "Sorry."

He examined Ianto and did a small brain scan, asking Ianto questions about his day-to-day life. Soon enough, he came to a conclusion and pulled Jack aside. "He's suffering from amnesia," he declared. "It's an effect of the concussion. You shouldn't have let him fall asleep. Anyway, since it seems that you are the only thing he has forgotten about, you need to find a way to make him remember."

_Thing? _He was a _thing_ now, not even a person? "Like what?" Jack demanded.

Owen shrugged. "Photos of the team – or just you two – together? An object that means something to you both? There has to be something."

Jack ran his hand through his hair. "I would've thought that my coat would be pretty triggering, but apparently not."

"No," Owen agreed. "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something before the day is over. Good luck!" And with that he went back to his workstation, still trying to keep a serious face.

Jack dragged Ianto over to the couch by the hub entrance and made him sit down. "Wait there," he said, and ran up to his office. He returned with a stopwatch, and held it up. "Does this ring any bells?"

Ianto shook his head. He looked miserable now, the effort of trying to remember something that just wasn't there beginning to show. "I still don't know who you are. Why don't you tell me your name?"

"Captain Jack Harkness." For once, there was no movie star grin to accompany the name. "I'm your boss and part-time lover."

Ianto laughed. "Get out! I mean, yeah, you might be attractive, but I'm not g-"

Jack cut him off with a kiss.

To the captain's surprise, Ianto kissed back, one hand moving to the back of Jack's neck and one to his waist, pulling him closer. When they pulled away, Jack wore a dazed expression on his face, while Ianto's head had never felt clearer.

"I remember," he whispered. "I remember you, Jack."

Jack smiled to himself. He would have to file away the knowledge that kissing someone could make their memory come back for another time. "Say that again?"

"I remember you," Ianto breathed, and he moved in for another earthshattering kiss.


End file.
